Local Santa Claus has been spreading joy for more than 40 years (video)

It's a little bit harder for many this year to capture the spirit of the season following the recent tragedy in Newtown, Conn.

Even people who routinely play the part of Santa Claus can't help but tear up at the thought of the shootings.

"These kids were wide-eyed and innocent," said Herman Koelmel, a man with 44 years of experience in the role of the jolly fellow from the North Pole.

The 70-year-old Wittenberg man, like many throughout the nation, also mourns for the victims' families and the children who survived the mass shootings.

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"We've all got to work to keep that innocence going as best we can. We still have to go on. The important thing is to try to find that joy from the people around you," he said.

Koelmel, a father, grandfather, retired IBMer and esteemed community servant, said he's trying extra hard this year to bring cheer to the people of Ulster County.

One look at him, and that's almost guaranteed to happen.

Everything on the guy is real from the natural white hair on his head to the bushy whiskers on his chin.

Even the voice and the "ho, ho, ho's" are convincing enough to make children and grownups stop what they're doing, stare and smile.

Koelmel visited the Freeman on Wednesday, and immediately drew attention to himself.

Workers from the advertising department and even Freeman publisher Jan Dewey gathered around him near the Christmas tree and posed for pictures.

The moment was light, and, for a moment, the cares of the day vanished and the magic of Christmas reappeared.

Koelmel said that's typical wherever he goes, and he chalks it up to experience.

"My daughter was a little less than one the first time I played him at a Christmas party in Albany," he said.

Back then, his hair wasn't all white, and he had to stuff a pillow or two up his shirt, but nowadays, it's all real.

He said around Labor Day, he starts growing his beard for the many appearances he expects to make around the Mid-Hudson Valley.

Koelmel is entirely good-natured about it when people ask him if it's real.

"You want to touch it and see?" he asks teasingly.

Koelmel looks so much the part that he could easily star in the role of Santa in any movie.

The offer has never come up, he said, and he's just as happy appearing at functions like the Winter Wonderland Parade held a couple of weeks back in Port Ewen.

He's also shown up at area fire departments, hospitals, private parties and, of course, the Hudson Valley Mall.

Koelmel said he's got tons of stories to tell about the children and their families. Some are sad and others, heartwarming tales that he said still warm his soul after all these years.

"I've got to start writing them all down," he said. "They've always been marvelous. I've never had a bad time."

One of the most recent Koelmel recalled was at the Port Ewen parade on Dec. 8.

A little girl got up on his lap and whispered to him that she wanted an American Girl doll, but there was more, Koelmel said.

At a holiday function the following week, he ran into the same child. The girl lived with her single mother, who is a waitress at an area restaurant, he said.

"At the very end, she came and put her arms around my neck and asked Santa to bring one extra present for her mommy. It was sad, but it was also heartwarming. The little girl was thinking of her mom more than herself."

Another memory that still makes his eyes twinkle happened years ago when he was playing Santa at the mall.

Three children -- Sean, Kathleen and Patrick -- came to get their picture taken, and the conversation started.

Koelmel learned that their father had come from Ireland, so he began using his best brogue around the children.

The following Saturday, they came back and brought their father.

"They wanted to show him that Santa Claus came from Ireland," he said. "We had a grand time."

Koelmel, who worked at IBM for 30 years before becoming a consultant in technical lighting and software development, is now retired.

He said he still enjoys playing Santa Claus, but these days, he's getting around a little slower.

Limitations aside, Koelmel is a natural in the part because he's dealt with children all of his life and is visibly comfortable with them.

He has two children of his own and five grandchildren. He's also coached Pop Warner football and ice hockey in Hurley.

Being around children so much, he's made a couple of observations over the years.

For one, boys are more skeptical and try to disprove the Santa myth, while girls tend to go along with it, he noted.

"By the time they get to be about 7 years old, boys try to outsmart you, but girls play along with it because they know they're going to get a nice present."

To illustrate his point about boys, Koelmel recalled an instance when he was playing Santa at a firehouse.

All dressed in his red suit and fireman's boots, Koelmel was prepared to greet the youngsters who had gathered.

"A young lad said to me, 'You're not the real Santa Claus because my father is a fireman, and he has boots just like that.'

"I said, 'Who do you think is the captain of the fire department at the North Pole?' That was logical to him, and he said, 'Oh, Santa Claus, I'm so sorry.'"

Another thing Koelmel has learned is to be real with kids, even when it comes to the pitch of his voice.

"I try to use my regular voice. If you go an octave up or down, you never get it right the second time," he said.

Koelmel, who wouldn't disclose his weight, said he is grateful to his wife, Linda, who has personally sewn him at least three red suits in the 40-plus years he's played Santa.

"She is the reason Santa Claus exists," he said. "She's the dresser and the coiffure, and she's a great seamstress. It's hard to take hundreds of yards of material and wrap it around this body," he said. "When you're over 300 years old, it's hard to keep the suave body anymore."

Now that Christmas is almost here, Koelmel is just about done making his rounds as Santa.

As always, it's been a good year, and he's enjoyed seeing adults, who once believed in him, bring their children to see him.

"It's all about coming back to the meaning of Christmas and the spirit of Santa Claus," he said.

"Most people want to pass that on to their children, and these days, they're all holding onto them a little bit tighter," he said.